Page 126 - HUDCO DESIGN AWARDS 2023-24

VICTORIAN GOTHIC INTERIORS

The interior of the library and administrative spaces
was also revisited and upgraded to compliment
the Victoria Gothic exterior. The conservation
architects were also able to establish that the
past interventions of the 1960s was also the
time when most of the shelving units seemed to
have been redesigned, as the other Victorian
furniture original to the building’s construction
did not match the style and period of the book
shelves in the reading room which were definitely
mid-century in their design.

Whilst the historic Victorian Minton tiles and
Victorian wooden tables, chairs and other furniture
was restored as found, the shelving needed to
be designed as per the Victorian Gothic interior.
The mid-century book shelves were replaced with
shelving more appropriate to the Victorian design,
basing the design of the shelving on the design of
the window shutters seen elsewhere through out
the library. The remaining historic furniture was
carefully hand polished and placed in position.

The original building was lit with gas lights, and
then electrical lighting was introduced in the
20th century. The gas pipes have been carefully
retained. All the original wrought iron railings,
fretwork, louvered window shutters, doors,
flooring and Victorian carvings have been carefully
restored and preserved.

Gas light fixture recreated based on archival evidence

RESTORATION OF DAVID SASSOON LIBRARY AND READING ROOM, MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA

114 |